The fate of the 810 candidates for Delhi Assembly polls was sealed in the electronic voting machines as polling for the 70 Assembly constituencies in the national Capital concluded on Wednesday evening. With this, the nearly month-long deliberations for the crucial elections came to an end and all eyes are now set for December 8 when the results will be declared. The polls, which was largely seen as a bi-polar contest between the ruling Congress and the Opposition BJP, turned a triangular fight with debutant Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) making its presence felt in at least a dozen Assembly constituencies. The Pioneer team took a close look at the polls — visiting various constituencies, analysing the prospects and gauging the mood of the public at large.
Sheila finds formidable challenge
In what is likely to turn into an exhaustive battle of nerves, the three major parties — the Congress, the BJP and the AAP — are locked in neck-and-neck contest in the prestigious New Delhi Assembly constituency. The fight between Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and BJP's Vijender Gupta became triangular with Arvind Kejriwal's party AAP too making its presence felt in this election. However, contesting on the issue of good governance, the BJP appeared to have the edge over its opponents on remaining seats in the New Delhi parliamentary constituency. All eyes will be on the poll results of this Assembly segment that will be declared on December 8. While the victory of Sheila Dikshit will retain her supremacy in Delhi's politics; her defeat would be a big surprise and this would come as a big boost to the political careers of Vijender Gupta and first-timer Arvind Kejriwal.
In New Delhi, voters turned out in large numbers since morning to exercise their franchise. While a majority voted on the issues of good governance and corruption in the posh areas; voters in Pillanji Village appeared anguished over poor infrastructure and lack of basic amenities. This resulted in a spontaneous turnout of voters as a huge gathering of voters could be seen outside the polling stations in Pillanji.
"We want a change. For years we are devoid of basic amenities. We will vote to the party which can form a Government that will take care of all segments of the society," said some voters of Pillanji village. The mood was, however, different in the posh localities where people seemed indifferent to the issues of corruption and price rise. The BJP appeared to be finishing better to its opponents in areas like Greater Kailash, Patel Nagar, Delhi Cantonment, Tilak Nagar and Karol Bagh while it was locked in a close fight with the arch rival Congress in RK Puram, Rajinder Nagar and Malviya Nagar Assembly constituencies.
New Delhi constituency registered polling of 75 per cent as against 66 per cent in 2008. There were, however, some glitches too. At K Kamraj Marg polling station in New Delhi area, former president APJ Abdul Kalam had to wait for at least an hour to cast his vote due to a faulty Electronic Voting Machine (EVM). A minor scuffle occurred at the Mandir Marg polling station in New Delhi as Congress workers objected to AAP's supporters wearing white Gandhi caps.
New broom sweeps clean in some East Delhi areas
East Delhi residents were brimming with enthusiasm on the polling day as hordes of voters came out to exercise their franchise on Wednesday. Despite having a crawling start in the first few hours, the voter turnout substantially picked up toward the second half of the day. The mood of voters across the 10 Assembly constituencies in this Trans-Yamuna region clearly reflected a three-cornered contest between the Congress, the BJP and debutant in the political fray, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
While in areas like Krishna Nagar and Patparganj, the BJP seems to have the edge over its opponents; Gandhi Nagar and Vishwas Nagar have emerged as the Congress' strong wicket. The AAP too managed to garner considerable prominence in East Delhi, specifically in the laxmi Nagar seat. In Okhla, Janta Dal-United's (JD-U) Shoaib Danish is expected to give a tough fight to sitting MlA Asif Mohammad Khan of the Congress. In Patparganj, BJP's Nakul Bhardwaj and AAP's Manish Sisodia seem to have eaten on the vote share of Congress' Anil Kumar.
Almost all Assembly seats under the East Delhi parliamentary constituency witnessed a slow beginning with the average votes polled during the first one hour (8 am to 9 am) being around five per cent. However, as the skies turned clearer giving way to a bright sunshine, polling booths gradually began to fill in. The real testing time for the polling and presiding officers began after 12 pm with excited voters queuing up to exercise their voting rights. By 4 pm most of the constituencies including Okhla, Patparganj and laxmi Nagar recorded 50 per cent turnout.
BJP's chief ministerial candidate and four-time MlA from Krishna Nagar Harsh Vardhan got his finger inked at 9 am in his constituency. He came along with his mother, wife and three children to cast their votes. "I request all Delhiites to come out and vote. I am expecting 80 per cent turnout and the BJP is sure to win," Vardhan said.
Just a few steps away was Congress' candidate from the seat, VK Monga, who didn't miss the chance to criticise Vardhan. "BJP's biggest mistake is that it chose Harsh Vardhan as their CM nominee. He couldn't serve even as an MlA," said Monga. At 10:15 am, Delhi Urban Development Minister and MlA from Gandhi Nagar Arvinder Singh lovely voted with his wife. After voting, he said, "My relation with Gandhi Nagar is not that of a political win. It is my home and I am humbled with their love."
As locals waited in the queue to cast their votes, they were busy discussing issues in their areas. Inflation, corruption and security of women were the major concerns of the people, although, they didn't deny the development carried out by the incumbent Congress led Government in the Capital. "We just want a party that can relieve us from soaring
prices. Girls are not safe in our locality and eve-teasing has become a common scene here," Sushila Jain, a resident of Vishwas Nagar.